As Willie Nelson croons, “I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places,” a montage of sports crosses the screen of this new Ad Council public service announcement.
With all the good-time feelings of baseball, football, Little League, ice hockey, and other sports teams playing out on the screen, and while Willie sings, the message is that we need the country to participate in the coronavirus vaccinations to again provide normal times.
The ad was a collaboration of 13 sports leagues and organizations, as noted by the Ad Council [1]:
Willie Nelson, who received his COVID-19 vaccination earlier this year, recorded a brand-new rendition of “I’ll Be Seeing You” pro bono specifically to be featured within the new PSAs.
Developed pro bono by creative agency, Pereira O’Dell, in collaboration with the thirteen leagues and organizations, the spots remind fans about the joy and exhilaration of experiencing sporting events together in person and end with the hopeful message that now that the vaccines are here, we can hopefully get back to those moments we love soon.
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According to Ad Council research fielded by Ipsos in February, approximately 40% of the American public remain undecided about getting a COVID-19 vaccination. Of that undecided population, only 56% say they feel confident they have enough information to guide their decision about getting a COVID-19 vaccination, compared to 96% of those already committed.
A majority (over 80%) are eager to get back to the moments and people they miss, including sporting events. And new data from Bully Pulpit Interactive shows that 28% of hesitant Americans say they are inspired and more likely to get vaccinated when prompted to get back to sporting events. These insights underline the urgency for continued mass communication efforts that provide audiences with answers to the top questions people have about the COVID-19 vaccines.
The message is clear.